Evaluation Plan Draft #1

Title

Evaluation of BART and Caltrain merging into a single integrated rail commuter system.

Audience

The audience for this evaluation is the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board, BART Board, nonprofit public policy organizations, local business organizations, transit advocacy organizations, CA state legislature, and the general public/voters.

Description of the Program/Policy/Infrastructure

There are 27 transit agencies operating in the Northern California San Francisco Bay Area each with its own governance, schedules, and ticketing that are often not compatible with each other. Public interest is growing in exploring whether transportation agencies will operate more efficiently if they were to merge and consolidate their services. The pandemic has accelerated interest in merging transportation agencies as ridership plummeted. Federal funding sustained many transit agencies and offset ridership losses during the pandemic. As federal funding dries up and ridership is slow to return, merging rail agencies is worth considering.

As Caltrain explores a new governance structure that potentially separates it from its parent agency, SamTrans, one option being considered is merging with a regional transit agency, like BART

Evaluate the governance structure of BART and Caltrain to determine if integration is even possible, and what benefits will be achieved by doing so.

Evaluation Question(s)

Should Caltrain merge with BART into a single integrated rail commuter system?

Will merging BART and Caltrain into a single integrated system improve rail service and connectivity in the SF Bay Area?

Can BART and Caltrain operate under a single governance structure?
Will the financial and physical similarities of the BART and Caltrain organizations facilitate a merger?

Relevance of the Evaluation

A potential merger between BART and Caltrain could revolutionize rail travel throughout the Bay Area and have impacts beyond consolidating passenger rail service. A merger could provide economic benefits to the BART and Caltrain rail corridors attracting new ridership, transit-oriented development, affordable housing, commerce, and improve the surrounding communities. And with the CA High Speed Rail already committed to operate along the blended peninsula rail segment, an opportunity to expand transit connectivity to Bay Area residents and surrounding communities has the potential to transform while encouraging rail travel in the post-pandemic environment.

Evaluation Methodology

The evaluation method will include interviewing several transit agency directors, non-profit organizations, and transit managers with rail operations experience.

Review data from research studies, review videos and minutes from transit agency meetings.

Work Plan for MTM 283 & 290

Week of

10/10 Finish draft evaluation
10/17 Discuss with Asha about Draft 1, Find 2 sources
10/24 Peer Feedback for Draft 1,
10/31
11/7
11/14
11/21

Annotated Bibliography

Bibliography of Other Sources Cited in the Evaluation Plan